Gary Neville has declared that Arsenal's £75m acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United has effectively secured the Premier League title for Mikel Arteta's side, as the Gunners prepare to defend their crown.
The Brazilian midfielder completed his move to the Emirates Stadium earlier this month, ending a four-year stint at St James' Park. Guimaraes, who has 48 caps for Brazil, helped Newcastle qualify for the Champions League and win the Carabao Cup during his time at the club.
Neville's verdict on Guimaraes impact
Speaking on The Overlap, the Manchester United legend and former England defender said: 'I would have backed Arsenal for the Premier League anyway but I think the Bruno Guimaraes signing just secures the title for Arsenal. I love him, he's a massive, massive character and personality. I think that's a massive addition.'
Neville continued: 'The Guimaraes signing is massive, he's a brilliant player. To get him from Newcastle United for £75m, that's a big signing.'
Arsenal kick off their title defence on Friday night when newly-promoted Coventry City, managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, visit the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal's midfield depth
The arrival of Guimaraes has left Arsenal with arguably the strongest midfield in world football, according to Neville. Arteta already has Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Myles Lewis-Skelly at his disposal.
World Cup winner Merino, asked about the strength of Arsenal's midfield ahead of the new season, said: 'Honestly, it's unreal. Probably the best midfield in football. The amount of quality that we have there, with every player that can come on the pitch and make a good shift. It's great.'
Merino added: 'That's good for the team. That's good for the squad. It raises everyone's level because if you have a bad day, the one that is close to you is going to do a great job. I think we have an amazing squad. The hunger is still there. Not because we won it last season, we're going to be happy with it. We want more and more and more and we want every trophy possible. That's the best quality of this team. Not only the amount of depth that we have, the quality that we have in every position, but that hunger.'
Merino praises Guimaraes
Discussing Guimaraes specifically, Merino said: 'Amazing signing. He has proved throughout these years how good he is at Newcastle. He showed it in pre-season as well. A lot of composure, technical ability, a lot of defensive effort as well. So it's a very good signing. A top player, but we have many of those in this team. So everyone that comes to help the team is welcome.'
Guimaraes followed Greek winger Christos Tzolis and back-up goalkeeper Illan Meslier to Arsenal this summer, while Piero Hincapie also signed a permanent contract. Arteta is now set to welcome England defender Ezri Konsa to the Premier League champions after Arsenal agreed a £51m deal with Aston Villa.
